Immortality 101: A Crash Course to the Ancient Greek Divine (or so I think)

Welcome to the world of the classical mythology!

Perhaps one of the most charming legacies that Ancient Greece had left to the modern world is its treasure trove of stories (both authored and rumored) about a race of IMMENSELY powerful beings called gods. 

To start with, let us define, or at least try to give identity to, the nature of our favorite immortals. The purpose of this article is to organize and present MY ideas about godhood in Greek Mythology as presented in different sources and media. Who knows, you might share the same thoughts with me about their immortality!

(Please take note, though, that what I’m writing here is in no way academic and definitive. You may assent or even contest the random things that I put here. After all, everyone is entitled to his own opinions. Right eh?)

Let's start!

Question #1: Who are the ‘gods’?

I may just have started out another heated religious debate just by asking this one.

Anyway, as far as Greek mythology is concerned, the gods are supernatural beings who control the world and the forces of nature. They represent a higher, older and more primal power ruling over all of the universe and mankind.

Whereas most religions believe that God/s was considered the Divine Creator of the universe, Greek mythology tells of how the gods descended from the universe itself. Quoting from Edith Hamilton (I bet everybody has read her book in school):

The Greeks did not believe that the gods created the universe. It was the other about: the universe created the gods. Before there were gods heaven and earth had been formed. They were the first parents. The Titans were their children, and the gods were their grandchildren. 

(My next post will be about their origin, assuming you’re still interested.)

Question #2: How are the gods related to one another?

May I just remark that the oh-so famous Graeco-Roman pantheon is just another humongous, dysfunctional family in the world?

Oh yes, it’s true. Every god in classical mythology is someone else's father or grandfather or brother or son, and every goddess his aunt, sister, grandmother or niece. Thanks to the polygamous, adulterous, and oftentimes incestuous relationships that these gods take. Uhuh... you could ask Zeus about those matters.

The Family Tree of Greek Mythology
Thanks Teacher Oz!

Even so, Rick Riordan (my favorite author! Yay!) decided to clear the gods' names of scandals by saying that they possess ichor instead of blood and DNA, so they aren't concerned of bloodlines not mixing well. Because of that, they don't see the whole brother-sister thing in the same way.

So, if one happens to be a child of both divine parents, he/she is most likely a god or goddess, and less likely a monster (acknowledgements to Scylla, and Charybdis, and the Gorgons etc. whose parents are gods... it must have been hard growing up) OR if he/she has at least one godly parent, that one can be a demigod hero and eventually apotheosize (is it right?) into a god after death... say Hercules and Asclepius and Aristaeus, which see later.

Question #3: What sort of powers do the gods possess?

As I was browsing the Internet, I stumbled upon a really interesting website aptly titled, The Official Guide to the Mythological Universe. The site outlines the:

Mythological Profiles on the gods and goddesses from the Marvel Universe, DC Universe, Legendary Journeys, Percy Jackson and other TV and Motion Picture Appearances

Fascinating, right?

So, I turned to look and found these amazingly detailed references regarding the supernatural abilities of the gods as seen (or read... or heard) in fiction:

• Superhuman Strength: The Olympian gods are superhumanly strong with the average Olympian god able to lift (press) about 30 tons under optimal conditions, and the average Olympian goddess able to lift (press) about 25 tons under optimal conditions.
• Superhuman Speed: The Olympian gods have the potential of being able to run and move at speeds much greater than the finest human athlete. Only Hermes, Iris and a few others can supersede the majority of the Olympian gods.
• Superhuman Stamina: The musculature of the Olympian gods produce considerably less fatigue toxins during physical activity than the muscles of human beings. The average Olympian god can exert themselves at peak capacity for about 24 hours before fatigue impairs them. Hercules, Zeus and Poseidon are physically stronger than most of the Olympian gods.
• Superhumanly Dense Tissue: The skin, muscle, and bone tissues of the Olympian gods are about three times as dense as the same tissue of a human body, contributing to their superhuman strength and weight.
• Superhuman Durability: The bodies of the Olympian gods are considerably more resistant to physical injury than the bodies of humans. The Olympian gods are capable of withstanding great impact forces and exposure to temperature and pressure extremes without sustaining physical injury.
• Regenerative Healing Factor: Despite their natural durability, it is possible for any of the Olympian gods to sustain injury. However, if injured, their highly advanced metabolism enables them to recover with superhuman levels of speed and efficiency. As with most of their other powers, the speed and extent of these powers varies from one Olympian god to another. 
• Immortality: The Olympian gods are functionally immortal and immune to the effects of aging. They haven't aged since reaching adulthood. Their bodies are also immune to all known Earthly diseases and infection.
• Energy Manipulation: The Olympian gods have some potential to manipulate magical or cosmic energies for some purpose. These powers are mostly limited to changing their appearance or shape, and teleporting across great distances. However, a small minority of the Olympians are capable of manipulating vast amounts of energy for a variety of purposes including teleportation, shapeshifting, matter manipulation, augmentation of their physical capabilities, erecting powerful force fields, firing powerful blasts of energy for destructive purposes and granting augmented attributes to objects and beings.
• Known Abilities: The Olympian gods possess specific skills associated with their area of expertise. For example, as the Greek and Roman god of war, Ares is a formidable combatant with extensive knowledge of both armed and unarmed combat, whereas Aphrodite, the goddess of love, is highly skilled in all forms of physical and sexual pleasure. Most Olympians have had some degree of training in armed and unarmed combat, particularly with spears, swords, shields and the bow and arrow.

(Source)

To add to that, the gods also possess a nearly limitless amount of magical control over their domain. Since their true divine form is too powerful to be looked upon by mortals or demigods, all gods can shape shift into any form that they desire- even animals. What else can they ask for?

Question #4: What keeps the Greek gods immortal?

As if super awesome powers are still not enough, the Graeco-Roman gods are also IMMORTAL. Yes, gods live FOREVER! We die, gods don't. We age, gods don't. We suffer from diseases, gods never do, never will. The reason behind this lies in the very blood that runs in their veins. The ancient sources call this substance ichor. According to our dear Wiki:

Ichor (/ˈaɪkər/ or /ˈɪkər/; Ancient Greek: ἰχώρ) is the ethereal golden fluid that is the blood of the gods and/or immortals. 

Ichor by ~x0x-InFAM0uX-x0x
The Ethereal and Golden Ichor
looks like honey to me.

Ooh. Ethereal. Golden. Don’t those words sound sweet? I've read from one source (gosh, I lost it) that ichor is the fluid that never engenders the gods with disease, and when shed, it had the power of producing new life. Need some proof? Here are some of them:

1. When Cronus castrated his father Uranus, few drops of blood fell into the earth, from which the Erinyes and the Gigantes emerged. Also, Uranus 'wang' which fell into the sea brought forth the goddess of beauty, Aphrodite. (Is it just me or those words really rhyme?)
2. In the myth of Perseus and Medusa, two creatures sprang forth from the gorgon's blood (ichor) -- the winged horse Pegasus and Chrysaor (is he a giant or what?) -- when the hero severed her head.

In addition to the ichor which occurs to them naturally, the gods also believe that a proper diet of ambrosia and nectar is necessary for a perfectly healthy lifestyle.

Question #5: Are there different 'kinds' of gods?

(Brace yourselves. A whole hell of bizarre words is coming.)

According to Theoi Project (It’s such a hugely reliable site. Believe me; it's making my brain bleed), the Ancient Greek pantheon can be divided into roughly eight classes:

• The PROTOGENOI, or the primeval gods. These were the primeval beings who emerged at creation to form the very fabric of universe: Earth, Sea, Sky, Day, Night etc.;
• The elemental DAEMONS and NYMPHS who nurtured life in the cosmic realms: freshwater Naiads, marine Tritons, woodland Satyrs, etc.;
• The mind and body affecting DAEMONS: Sleep (Hypnos), Love (Eros), Joy (Euphrosyne), Hate (Eris), Fear (Phobos), Death (Thanatos), Old Age (Geras), etc.;
• The THEOI, gods who controlled the forces of nature and bestowed civilized arts upon mankind:

1. Theoi Uranian, gods of the Sky like Helios (Sun), Anemoi (Winds), etc.;
2. Theoi Halian, gods of the Sea like the Nereids, Triton, Glaucus etc.;
3. Theoi Chthonian (how do you even read this), gods of the Underworld like Persephone, Hecate, etc;
4. Theoi Georgici, the Agricultural Earth gods like Plutus, Triptolemus, etc;
5. Theoi Nomian, the Pastoral Earth gods like Pan, Aristaeus, etc.;
6. Theoi Polician, the gods of the City like Hestia, Eunomia, etc.;
7. Theoi Olympian, the gods of Olympus (besides the 12 Olympians) like Hebe, the Muses;
8. Theoi Titanes, the Titan gods (yes, they weren't monsters!) like Themis, Cronus, Prometheus, etc.; and the
9. Apotheothenai, the Deified Mortals (also a tongue twister) like Hercules, Asclepius, etc.

• The DODEKATHEON or the Twelve Great Olympians (you must have heard a great deal about them already); 
• The KATASTERISMOI, spirits of the heavenly constellations;
• The MONSTERS and BEASTS (really, what are heroes without them?); and
• The HEROI HEMITHEOI, or the demigods, heroes who were worshiped after death as minor divinities (we'll discuss this more later).

There were many divinities in the Greek pantheon who fell into more than one of these categories. Tyche (Lady Fortune), for example, can easily be classified under category Two as an Oceanid Nymph, Three as fortune personified, and Four as a popularly worshiped goddess.Now that's what we call wholesaling.

Question #6: What are the similarities between gods and humans?

As for the Ancient Greeks, the gods were ‘perfected’ forms of human aspirations. These supernatural beings far surpass mortals in beauty, strength, power, grandeur, intelligence, artistry... everything! After all, they are called gods for a reason.

(And you might not believe how the gods feel insulted when being compared with humans. Tss.) 

So much for being superhumans, the gods were also subject to pain and passion, love and lust, anger, angst, jealousy and every other mundane emotion you can ever think of. However, they were not omnipotent or omniscient, either. As Neutral World puts it:

They represented a divinity with which the common man could identify.

Just imagine all the infidelity, betrayal, friendship issues, love stories, and struggle for power all in epically divine proportions!

Dangerous Question #7: Can humans even become gods?

Mythologically speaking, the answer is a big YES. Ever heard of the word APOTHEOSIS?

(Okay. I know that's a mouthful. I also used to struggle with the word, but practice really makes perfect!)

Hercules-I'm a God Now... by *nippy13
A representation of the deified Hercules
He is truly a god now.

Apotheosis, I must say, is one big word, even in the world of mythology. According to Mythography, the term comes from the Greek words apo "from" and theos "god." Basically, it means deification, or elevation to godhood. Put simply, apotheosis is a process by which mere humans (like us) turn into gods.

Mortals who have gone through apotheosis then become what we call Apotheothenai (Breathe, then try to read it again. I feel you guys). In the myths, a handful of people underwent this divine-making process. Some of the most notable are:

1. Asclepius, god of medicine;
2. Dioscuri, the twins of the constellation Gemini;
3. Ganymede, cupbearer of Olympus (one of the Zeus’ flames… yes, he was a bi);
4. Hercules (who doesn’t know this guy?! Seriously?!);
5. Psyche, Eros' SUPER beautiful wife; and
6. Dionysus, wine god (so... even Mr. D was once a hero!)

You may visit this page on Theoi Project in case you're interested to know everyone who had gone through deification. You might even get some hints from them!

UNFORTUNATELY, there are no clear criteria on how individuals are allowed to undergo apotheosis. When the gods feel like it, they will just pluck you out of this earth and make you live with them. Records show that quite a few people received the privilege as a reward for their benefactions to mankind – e.g. Heracles, Asclepius and Aristaeus – others through marriage to gods – e.g. Ariadne, Tithonus and Psyche – and some by luck or pure chance – i.e. Glaucus. Lucky guys.

Really Dangerous Question #8: Why are (or were) the gods worshiped?

(OK, I know the answer here’s like… duh… they’re worshiped because they’re gods! At least, give the following answer a chance.)

We may not call totally consider the gods as ‘role models’ when it comes to ethics and morality (unlike the perfect God/s we worship in these modern times). The gods of Ancient Greece and Rome still demanded a LOT of worshipping from the masses, though.

According to one article, people obeyed the Greek gods not because they were intrinsically morally correct, but because they could kick the living shit out of you, literally. If Zeus got pissed off with you, say for bragging about shagging Aphrodite, then he'd smack you one with a lightning bolt! For the ancient Greeks, power was divine, not 'goodness'.

One might as well think twice before getting to their bad side.

CHAPTER SUMMARY... Sort of

Needless to say, the gods of Ancient Greek and Roman mythology are some of the most fascinating figures, fictional or not, in world literature and history. They belong to a HUGE interconnected divine family gifted with immense power to control the forces of nature and even human emotions. Every one of them rules a sphere of influence in certain aspects of our puny mortal lives. The divinities don't age and never die. They don't even get sick. Aside from that, they possess superhuman capabilities that make them far superior as compared to mere mortals. By chance, some people find themselves sucked into this world and become gods themselves. The gods of Greek Mythology, unlike like our conventional Deity/s, are fallible and hence, become easier to be identified by humans.

All of those dripping awesomeness and more make the gods.... well, gods.

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I hope that I did, at least, give you my idea of what the mythological gods are. For the next few posts, I’ll be discussing each one’s life issues in greater detail. Thank you for reading.